Chapter 578: Shocking Night

Deep mountains are dangerous and steep, the scenery beautiful and secluded.

Fallen leaves piled up in a thick layer, rotting and melting into the soil, soft and fluffy to step on.

Pale yellow miasma floated in the mountain valleys.

Milk-white clouds and fog covered the forest.

A burbling stream, its origin unknown, flowed over the jagged mountain rocks, its destination also unknown.

Mo Hua took a miasma-repelling pill, expelled the miasma from his body, released his divine sense to guard against demon beasts in the forest, and walked carefully and cautiously along the rugged mountain path toward the north.

He walked for a good half day until the sun set, and the mountain valleys were covered in dusk. The deep forest became even more dim and profound.

Mo Hua looked up and saw that the night was deep and foggy, the miasma thick, isolating his divine sense.

The range of his divine sense perception was less than half of what it was during the day.

The demon qi in the mountain valleys also gradually thickened.

Some "night active, day sleeping" demon beasts seemed to be gradually waking up. In the desolate night, they emitted strange, inexplicable low roars that echoed low and deep in the mountain valleys.

Mo Hua frowned slightly.

It seemed he couldn't hurry the night road anymore...

He thought of the broken temple the old man mentioned. Then, based on his memory, he released his divine sense, found a direction, and went toward a hidden mountain road.

He passed through a patch of woods, climbed over a giant rock, and walked for another half hour. Finally, on the mountainside, he saw a broken temple.

The temple building was broken and dilapidated, but there was a hint of human qi, suggesting that cultivators occasionally passed by and rested here.

The demon qi and miasma nearby were also fainter.

In front of the broken temple, there were also stone stairs, simple and crude, and steep.

Mo Hua climbed the stairs upward, his body like flowing water, his feet light. It wasn't long before he reached the front of the broken temple door.

One panel of the broken temple's main door was missing, and the other panel was weathered and unbearable from sun exposure and rain erosion.

Entering the door, the four walls were drafty, dirty, and unbearably messy.

Cold and desolate moonlight shone down from the roof, illuminating a clay statue in the center. Its face emitted white light, gloomy and eerie.

The face shape of this clay statue was narrow and long, with a human face, yet not human-like.

When the moonlight shone on its eyes, they showed a trace of strangeness. Through the pitch-black night, it seemed to be staring at Mo Hua in a way that was neither human nor inhuman.

Mo Hua was not afraid. He opened his wide eyes and stared back at the clay statue.

After staring at each other for a while, perhaps because the moonlight shifted, the clay statue's gaze actually silently shifted away...

Mo Hua, however, did not let it go. He walked directly to the front of the clay statue, his gaze profound, staring at the clay statue.

The clay statue immediately became steady and proper, proper and proper.

Mo Hua jumped onto the altar table, examined the clay statue all around, and muttered:

"Not right ah, how is there nothing at all?"

"Should have ah..."

"I can't possibly be mistaken..."

Mo Hua had a face full of doubt.

The clay statue's eyes no longer had light and even wanted to close.

Mo Hua licked his lips, "What a pity..."

Then he jumped down from the altar table, cleared a patch of empty ground, and controlled his ink with divine sense, drawing a warm fire array.

Once the warm fire array lit up, orange-yellow fire light rose up, dispelling the night in the temple and the coldness of the mountain valleys.

Mo Hua wrapped himself in a small blanket, roasting the fire, and felt very warm.

As the warmth rose, Mo Hua suddenly felt hungry again. He then pulled out some mountain yams and dried meat from his storage bag and placed them on the warm fire array to roast.

Roasting the fire, eating the fragrant, sticky mountain yams, chewing the spicy dried beef, and drinking the clear, sweet fruit brew his mother brewed.

Mo Hua shook his head and swayed his brain, feeling very comfortable.

After eating and drinking his fill, Mo Hua extinguished the warm fire array, wrapped the small blanket tightly, and relying on the residual warmth of the ground, entered dreamland.

Within the broken temple, it then quieted down.

The cold and clear moonlight shone down again, also illuminating the pupils of the honorable clay statue on the altar table.

The clay statue's ice-cold eyes slowly drooped, looking at Mo Hua, who was wrapped up like a "small zongzi," as if no one else was there, snoring in his sleep.

The clay statue's gaze flickered, not knowing what it was thinking.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a layer of faint white light floated out from the clay statue.

This layer of light seemed illusory and real, vague and obscure.

Divine sense could sense it, but the eyes could not see it.

The white light gradually lengthened, slowly condensing into a narrow, long human shadow.

It peeled out from within the clay statue, its body like a human, its face like a demon, with a long beard, narrow eyes, and growing yellow fur.

This demon shadow, tiptoeing, accompanied by bursts of Yin wind, slowly approached Mo Hua, stretched out long, long nails, and said in a strange voice:

"Little friend..."

"Turn your head and look..."

"Look, who am I..."

It wanted to transmit this sinister voice into the little cultivator's dream.

To make him wake up from his dream.

But before it could finish, it saw the originally "sleeping" Mo Hua suddenly turn his small head, stare at it with a pair of wide eyes, and ask:

"Who are you?"

The evil, strange demon shadow was startled.

"You, you're not sleeping?"

Immediately, it was shocked again, "Not right, you can see me?"

"Didn't you tell me to look at you?" Mo Hua said strangely.

"No, no..."

The demon shadow repeatedly shook its head. The "look" it meant was to look in a dream, to look at a nightmare that it had manifested, a terrifying and strange one.

But not in reality, really using eyes to look.

The demon shadow was a little panicked. "What exactly is wrong with this little ghost..."

How did he see it?

Could it be... that his divine sense was too strong?

Impossible, he was a little ghost, how strong could his divine sense be?

"Who are you?" Mo Hua asked again.

The demon shadow came back to its senses, its face showing anger. It was about to say something, but then saw Mo Hua's gaze was clear and sharp, even with... a trace of strangeness, seeming to want to see through it.

The demon shadow's heart pounded, and then it heard Mo Hua say clearly:

"You are the thing inside the clay statue just now?"

"The mountain god temple's clay statue..."

"You are the mountain god?"

"Not right, the old grandpa below the mountain told me that the mountain god turned evil and has already been killed."

"So, you are a fake?"

"Human body, demon face, parasitic in a clay statue, which means you are neither human nor demon, but a strand of divine thought, either an innate evil, or a humanized ghost thing..."

The demon shadow's heart sank.

This little ghost, how did he know so much?

How old was he? He spoke as if he dealt with these demons and evil ghosts every day...

The demon shadow showed a fierce look and said: "Afraid, since you know, still not quickly..."

Before it finished speaking, it saw a fireball whistle toward it.

This fireball was fast and accurate, surrounded by flames, rushing straight toward the demon shadow's face.

But the fireball didn't hit, instead passing through the demon shadow's face, flying directly out the door. As an explosion sounded, firelight spread, burning several pieces of mountain rocks.

The demon shadow was startled, then furious.

Fireball technique to the face!

This external little cultivator was too rude!

He threw a fireball without even saying a word?

Fortunately, it was a divine thought body, a technique composed of spiritual power, which couldn't injure a thought body. Otherwise, if its face suffered this one, it wouldn't just be disfigured?

"How dare you!"

The demon shadow's face was full of anger. It wanted to teach this little cultivator a lesson, show him some, and teach him the rules of being a cultivator!

But Mo Hua acted as if he didn't see it...

"Fireball technique is useless ah..."

"Because it's a killing power at the spiritual power level ah..."

"Evil thought... divine sense..."

Mo Hua pondered and muttered as he went.

His previous divine sense confrontations were all inside the sea of consciousness. Every law and technique was a manifestation of divine sense and could kill evil thoughts.

But now he was outside the sea of consciousness. Mo Hua lacked experience and didn't know what means were best to use.

Mo Hua thought to himself.

The demon shadow was even more furious.

A yellow-mouthed child, no one in his eyes!

This was simply not putting it in his eyes.

It was a mountain god of a region, who had received offerings from people, even if it was now down and out. It wasn't to be bullied by a little ghost to this extent!

In its own temple, blessed by its own divine statue, its thought power was stable.

It was also a divine thought body, immune to blood qi damage and spiritual power invasion, basically standing on invincible ground.

Originally, it thought this little ghost was young and would scare him away.

But since he was so insensible, it also had to use some ruthless means to let him know a little about the dangers of cultivation...

The demon shadow's eyes turned red, and its breath increased violently, climbing section by section. Its originally skinny body gradually became strong, its four limbs grew fur, and it turned into a huge "yellow weasel"...

Mo Hua not only wasn't afraid but found it very novel.

He had seen changes into "evil ghosts," and changes into "zombies." This was the first time he had seen a change into a "weasel"...

The yellow weasel looked at Mo Hua ferociously, seemingly about to make a move.

Mo Hua pondered slightly and decided to strike first to gain the advantage. He pointed his small hand, and at the yellow weasel's feet, he set an array with spiritual ink, drawing out a gold lock array.

A first-grade gold lock array was simple, so it was set up very quickly.

Once the gold lock array was formed, it formed chains that locked up the yellow weasel demon shadow.

The yellow weasel was bound by the gold lock array, struggled several times, and then broke free from the chains and escaped. But its heart was still greatly shocked.

"Array law?"

"Without a brush or paper, how did this little ghost set it up?"

Mo Hua secretly nodded.

He thought correctly.

The power of techniques was determined by spiritual power.

While the harm of array law, although also composed of spiritual power, contained the laws of the great dao, and also condensed a large amount of divine sense.

To restrain divine thought with divine sense.

So techniques couldn't injure it.

But array law was effective against this "yellow weasel" demon shadow, which had no blood or flesh, no spirit or qi, a body that wasn't injured, and spiritual power that wasn't damaged.

Only compared to arrays purely composed of divine sense in the sea of consciousness, the power was a bit weaker.

But being useful was good...

Moreover, what he was using now was still only a first-grade array law.

Mo Hua took out several bottles of spiritual ink one after another, started to hold his breath and concentrate, controlled the ink with divine sense, and built a more complex array law...

The yellow weasel looked at the calm Mo Hua, a little panicked...

It felt that things were a bit beyond its control...

This little ghost was not panicked or disordered, one move after another, full of confidence, and it couldn't see through him.

Give up?

But as a dignified mountain god, if it couldn't win against a little ghost, wouldn't it be laughed at?

The yellow weasel hardened its heart and braced itself, wanting to pounce and kill Mo Hua.

But before it got close to Mo Hua's body, it saw golden ink patterns appear under its feet, condensing into a multiple gold lock array, firmly trapping it.

The yellow weasel used its claws and teeth to break free with force.

It could cope with a first-grade gold lock array, even though it was now down and out, and its strength was not as before.

But before it could break free, it lowered its head and saw that more gold lock arrays had appeared under its feet.

The yellow weasel was both shocked and afraid.

"What... what's wrong with this little ghost?"

"What kind of education did he receive? How can he still draw array laws like this?!"

Drawing array laws like this, it couldn't win...

The yellow weasel's heart gave birth to a desire to retreat.

"Beg for mercy?"

As soon as this thought emerged, it was denied by the yellow weasel.

How could a dignified mountain god beg for mercy from a little ghost? Wouldn't it be laughed to death if this got out?

Let's hold on like this first...

A small cultivator, even if his divine sense was strong and he learned array law well, how long could he persist?

Wait until both sides couldn't hold on, then it would pretend a bit, admit a "draw," and both sides would stop, so it wouldn't lose too much face...

But before it finished thinking, its eyelids suddenly twitched wildly.

It discovered that around its body, it didn't know when, many fiery red patterns had appeared, spiritual power surging in them, majestic divine sense surging in them...

Second-grade array law!

And it wasn't an ordinary second-grade array law, but a killing array with at least twelve, even thirteen patterns of second-grade initial level!

The yellow weasel's heart trembled. It opened its wide eyes and immediately threw away its mountain god's dignity, shouting loudly:

"Little friend! Little friend!"

"Let's talk properly!"

Mo Hua ignored him and continued to set up array laws...

The yellow weasel gritted its teeth and shouted loudly: "Little master, little ancestor!"

"I beg you, don't draw! If you draw again, it will take my life!"

It had painstakingly condensed this remnant body. If it was blasted again, its soul would truly fly and dissipate, forever lost...

Mo Hua stopped his hand.

It wasn't that he really wanted to stop, but that he couldn't draw any more.

Although his divine sense was strong, using this high-difficulty divine sense array method to draw a thirteen-pattern second-grade ground fire array was originally a bit strenuous.

Setting up the gold lock array before had consumed a lot of divine sense.

Now, this second-grade ground fire array, it was estimated that he couldn't finish drawing it, and even if he did, his divine sense would be near depletion.

Moreover, this yellow weasel was so sensible, even calling himself little ancestor. Mo Hua was also a "big" person with magnanimity, so he would let it go for now.

Mo Hua walked up to the yellow weasel and asked:

"You wanted to harm me?"

The yellow weasel said helplessly: "I only wanted to scare you..."

Mo Hua didn't understand, "Without reason or cause, why scare me?"

The yellow weasel smiled bitterly, "Your divine sense is a bit unusual. As soon as you entered the door, you kept staring at the mountain god statue, seeming to see something..."

"I was afraid you would see through my details and bring disaster, so I wanted to scare you a bit, let you leave early, with no other malice..."

"Oh..." Mo Hua nodded as if he half-believed, and then asked: "Who are you?"

The yellow weasel said: "This humble one is precisely the mountain god of this place..."

Mo Hua's eyebrows raised, "Nonsense, the mountain god here was killed!"

The yellow weasel hurriedly said: "Dare not deceive the little friend, this humble one is indeed the mountain god, named Huang Shan Jun, wearing yellow demon skin, surnamed Huang, and also a mountain god, hence the name 'Shan Jun'..."

"Initially cultivating the path, I had a mishap, evil thoughts grew, and was thus chopped once by righteous path cultivators..."

"But because of my deep roots, a thread of life was ultimately left."

"These years, guarding this broken temple, dispelling miasma and expelling demons, and providing rest for traveling cultivators, also counts as tying a thread of good karma."

"In addition, with the offerings at the mountain god statue, there is a thread of incense."

"This also condensed this remnant body, only my strength is greatly diminished from before, just lingering on with my last breath..."

Huang Shan Jun sighed.

Mo Hua saw that his expression didn't seem fake, so he reluctantly believed him a little, but still threatened in a crisp voice: "You better not deceive me, otherwise I'll eat you!"

Huang Shan Jun was startled and then laughed a little.

He thought to himself that after all, he was a child, he didn't even know how to threaten people.

He himself was divine thought, what did he want...

Huang Shan Jun suddenly felt a chill. As soon as the word "eat" appeared, he felt a pull on cause and effect, and his heart involuntarily became alarmed and trembling.

"This..."

This little cultivator, could he really eat himself?

No... perhaps he, had already eaten quite a few...

Huang Shan Jun opened his mouth, his eyes full of fear.

"What exactly is this little cultivator? How is he even scarier than myself?"

Huang Shan Jun hated that he couldn't slap himself in the mouth.

How could he be so unlucky as to provoke this little disaster?

Initially, when this little ancestor entered the door, wasn't it fine to hide inside the clay statue and play dead?

Why did he have to look at him?

This one look almost cost him his old life...

Huang Shan Jun's heart was bitter.

Mo Hua was still staring at Huang Shan Jun, sizing him up, and suddenly asked: "I'll ask you a few questions."

Huang Shan Jun immediately retreated his demon form, revealing his original appearance of a human body with a demon face, and respectfully said: "Little mister, please ask!"

Mo Hua asked: "Your body is divine thought, but does it count as human or demon? And mountain god... what exactly is it?"

"How do you count as 'god'?"

Mo Hua asked several questions in one breath.

Huang Shan Jun was a little unexpected.

He thought this little cultivator was so capable, proficient in divine sense killing, and must have come from a family with extremely deep learning. But the questions he asked were somewhat uneven in depth.

Things he shouldn't know, he knew, not only knew, but knew profoundly.

But things he should know, he seemed to know not much...

"Is the inheritance incomplete, or did the master only teach half..."

Huang Shan Jun speculated in his heart but didn't dare to conceal anything.

He was afraid this little cultivator was "bluffing" him, clearly understood, but pretended not to understand, and then caught his words and "ate" him.

Huang Shan Jun said:

"All divine thought bodies in the world, like the divine sense of cultivators, the ghost thoughts of evil ghosts, and the evil thoughts of evils, are all illusory and unreal 'thought bodies'."

"Ghosts are thought bodies."

"When cultivators' great limit is about to arrive, their bodies die and their paths are eliminated. After death, their divine thoughts transform, and generally all become ghost things."

"Ghost things are evil, their divine intelligence scatters and changes. They will swallow people's divine sense to maintain their own ghost thoughts, especially the divine sense of their closest people, which is a great supplement for ghost things."

"'God' is also a kind of thought body."

"But cultivating into a god is very harsh, related to the great dao, cause and effect, offerings, incense, and so on."

"I'm just a small mountain god. I received a bit of incense, gained belief, and by chance obtained the position of mountain god. But I'm not clear about higher, deeper things..."

"Especially..."

Huang Shan Jun's face showed fear, "In this world, it is said that there are ancient-born, ancient supreme demon gods, evil gods and demon gods..."

"These existences cannot be seen, cannot be known, even close to 'dao', close to 'immortal'..."

Mo Hua's heart slightly chilled.

This cultivation world seemed to be bigger, deeper, and scarier and more complex than he had imagined...

Mo Hua looked at Huang Shan Jun again, and asked doubtfully: "Mountain god, cultivating the righteous path, is it good?"

Huang Shan Jun smiled awkwardly: "Count as it... at least my divine sense is clear, I want to eat incense, tie good karma, and have good results..."

"Then you before, how did you turn bad again? And still get chopped?" Mo Hua asked curiously.

Huang Shan Jun felt as if a knife had been plunged into his chest. He hesitated for a moment, and then said helplessly: "This... alas, cultivating the path, making mistakes is also inevitable..."

"I was too comfortable as a mountain god, and my divine thought didn't grow for a long time, so I had crooked thoughts, ate... ate several people..."

Mo Hua's gaze turned cold.

Huang Shan Jun felt cold all over and immediately said: "Not 'I', it was the previous 'I'..."

Mo Hua put on a stern small face, "The previous you, isn't that you?"

Huang Shan Jun wanted to cry but had no tears, "Evil thoughts grew, one body, two thoughts, I had no choice..."

"Then?"

"Then... after eating several people, although my divine thought was dirty, it was indeed strong. Just when 'I', no, that previous me, was complacent, I was calculated out by the cultivators of a nearby righteous path sect..."

"A white-clothed sword cultivator, with profound realm, chopped me with a single sword..."

"After being chopped, because of my previous good karma, I still had a thread of breath left..."

"That sword cultivator said words like 'heaven has the virtue of nourishing life', 'one death, one life, cannot be severed', 'leave a thread of life', and let me go."

"But he also warned me that if I did evil again, he would definitely chop me down completely and eliminate me absolutely."

"So, little mister, I really dare not harm you..."

Huang Shan Jun hated that he couldn't cut open his heart for Mo Hua to see.

"Um um." Mo Hua nodded, and suddenly thought of asking: "You are a mountain god, a divine thought body, how did that sword cultivator chop you with a sword?"

"He..."

As if recalling that scene, Huang Shan Jun's eyes still showed great fear.

"Divine thought turned into a sword..."

Mo Hua was startled, and then his gaze brightened greatly.

Divine thought...

Turned into a sword!!

(End of this chapter)